Locking arrangement with indicator



Feb. 18, 1969 s.JEFFEE 3,427,835

LOCKING ARRANGEMENT WITH INDICATOR Filed Jan. s, 19s? Sheet of 5 Feb.18, 1969 S. JEFr-'EE n 3,427,835

LOCKING ARRANGEMENT WITH INDICATOR Filed Jan. 5, 1967 Sheet 2 of 5 Feb.18, f s JEFFEE LOCKING ARRANGEMENT WITH INDICATOR Filed Jan. s, 1967sheet of s M3 N Q 2 3 Q x 2 ku\ l .M

United States Patent O 3,427,835 LOCKING ARRANGEMENT WITH INDICATOR SaulJelee, Scarsdale, N.Y. (619 W. 54th St., New York, N Y. 10019) FiledJan. 3, 1967, Ser. No. 606,763 U.S. Cl. 70-432 Int. Cl. Eb 41 /00,63/12, 65/48 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relatesto locking larrangements and more particularly to locking arrangementsprovided with indicators to perform a function hereinafter described ingreater detail.

In the maintenance and operation of `oflices, plants, warehouses and soforth, problems of security and security regulations are oftenencountered. It has now been found that, for two or more of the typicalproblems involved in security, there is a common solution which isreadily employed.

One of these problems concerned with the type of security regulations inwhich access to a room is limited, for example, to two security classesof personnel such -as those having clearance for secret and confidentialmatters and with respect to which room one of the security classes maybe excluded from time to time. Such a room will be provided with twolocks. One lock will be operable by one of said classes `of personnel,whereas both locks will be operable by the 'other of said classes.

Although this security arrangement seems simple, it nevertheless leadsto problems chiefly due to the fact that, in the absence of some type-of indicator, yone cannot readily determine that he cannot ga-in accessto the room involved. This leads to inefficient operating conditions,loss of time, undesirable Iattempts to gain access accompanied by thegeneration of intolerable noise, emotional upset and so forth. It hasbeen found that all of this can be avoided simply by providing lanindication of whether one or both of two locks have Ibeen operated.Moreover, it has been found that this principle is applicable to anothercomrnon security problem next discussed below.

In the use of double-Wing doors, a lock is commonly employed to lock theWings together. One lock is, however, insufficient, and a second lock isgenerally employed to fix one of the wings to the adjacent wall. It israpidly appreciated by persons having an eye for expedience that if thesecond lock is not operated, the first lock can be kept in lockedcondition land the wings readily swing open together. To many peoplethis assumes the responsibilities inherent in security but, whileobviously suitable for expediance, security clearly suffers in theexecution.

An object of the invention is to apply the earlier disclosed solution tothis second problem in brder to obviate the same.

In achieving the above and other of its objectives and advantages, thereis proposed in accordance with the invention a locking arrangementcomprising a relatively stationary part, a relatively movable partassociated therewith, first and second locking means effective to lockthese parts together and indicating means coupled to one of the lockingmeans only to indicate when the latter means is eiected to lock themovable parts, at least partially, to the stationary part.

In accordance with vone embodiment of the invention, the locking meansmay 'be individually effective to lock the stationary and movable partstogether. In `accordance with a second embodiment Iof the invention, thelocking means may be cooperatively effective to lock the parts together.

More particularly, the stationary part referred to hereinabove may be awall whereas the movable parts may be a Idoor which is hinged relativeto the Wall. The first and second locking means in this case willinclude a member adapted' 'for being extended from one of these partsinto a corresponding receptacle in the other of the parts, theindicating means including a switch adjacent one of the receptacles andadapted for being operated by the corresponding member.

In accordance with the Iinvention a multiplicity of lights may beconnected to the aforesaid switch and may be alternately illuminatedthereby to indicate the condition of the related locking means. Theswitch may be a microswitch including a spring-loaded plunger which isadapted to be actuated by said corresponding member.

A feature of the invention involves the provision of certain details inrespect of an intermediate means employed between the plunger of themicroswitch and the latch member lof the locking means. Thisintermediate means may comprise certain details as described hereinbelowwhich enable the locking means and the switch to cooperate in a mannermost calculated to provide for extended usage without the need forunusual maintenance.

In another respect, the invention may involve the use of a double-wingdoor as the movable part, each wing which is hinge-d relative to theassociated wall. In this case, the rst locking means may include amember slidable in one of the wings to lock the same in a receptacleprovided in the wall, the second locking means being effective to lockthe wings together with the indicating means being responsive to thelocking means which locks the rst said Wing to the Wall.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the followingdetailed description of some preferred embodiments thereof, asillustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE l is a perspective broken away View of a Wall and door embodyingthe locking and indicating features of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view, on enlarged scale taken along line 2 2 vofFIG. 1, illustrating the cooperation between a locking member and anindicator switch ernployed in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a top view, partially broken away, of the structureillustrated in FIG. 2;

FIGURE 4 is 1a sectional View of FIG. 3;

FIGURE 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 but showing the lock inoperated condition;

FIGURE 6 is a view on enlarged scale of a ldetail of FIGS. 4 and 5;

FIGURE 7 illustrates the environment for a second embodiment of theinvention; and

FIGURE 8 is a cross-sectional view on enlarged scale taken along line8-8 of FIG. 7.

The relatively fixed member in the end 12 of lwhich are providedreceptacles 14 and 16. The wall 10 supports an indicator 18 yand withinthe wall 10 is supported a switch 20 having electrical connection withindicator 18.

The `relatively movable member illustrated in FIG. 1 is a door 22 havinga knob 24 thereon adapted to control a spring-loaded latch 26 and havinga key opening 28 by means `of `which the door may be locked. Knlob 24 isassociated with a plate 30` on which is mounted a second lock 32connected by a system of levers 34 to a bolt taken along line 4 4 inFIG. l is the Wall 10 or latch 36 adapted to be accommodated in thereceptacle 16.

The door 22 opens into a noom to which there is limited security access.Nonclassified personnel are barred from said room and, for example,personnel having secrecy clearance will be admitted to this room at alltimes and will have keys to the locks 28 and 32, whereas personnelcleared for confidential material will have keys to the ylock 28 onlyand thus will not be able to open the door 22 when the lock 32 has beenoperated.

The problem which occurs in connection with this security problem isthat when the door 22 is closed and both locks 28 and 32 operated, itwill not be normally possible for personnel cleared for confidentialmaterial only to know that lock 32 is operated and that they will not beable to gain access to the room by operation of lock 28. This leads todifficulties in that time will be lost by the latter classification ofpersonnel trying to gain access to the room, although this isimpossible, and further due to the emotional problems which arise undersuch circumstances. To this end the indicator 18 provides that one ofthe lights 38 or 40 will be `selectively illuminated to indicate thestatus of locks 28 and 32, whereby it will be unnecessary for saidlatter class of personnel to waste their time and become emotionallyinvolved with trying to open the door 22 when this is impossible, exceptin respect of personnel having secrecy security clearance.

The spring-loaded latch 26 is normally accommodated, with the door 22closed, in the receptacle 14 and when the lock 28 has been actuated, itis impossible to turn the knob 24 so that access to the room isprevented. When the lock 32 is actuated the slidable member or plunger36 is accommodated in the receptacle 16 and this acts to operate theplunger 42 to operate the switch indicated generally at 20 which iseffected through electrical connections discussed hereinbelow to operatelights 38 and 40 in any desired manner.

The details of the indicator operating arrangement appear in FIGS. 2-6wherein are generally indicated the wall 10, the door 22, the slidablemember 36 of the lock 32, and the plunger 42 of the switch 20.

FIGS. 4 and 5 indicate most clearly that plunger 42 actually constitutesan intermediate member effective between the slidable member 36 and aplunger 44 constitut ing a part of the switch 20 itself.

The intermediate member includes a fixed tube 46 having an outwardlyextending flange 48 sandwiched between supporting members 50 and 52mounted in wall 10. Tube 42 also includes `an inwardly directed flange54. Within the tube 46 is positioned a slidable tube 56 including anouter shoulder portion 58 and an inner shoulder portion 60. Tube 56includes an axial extension 62 extending outwardly from the tube 46 andincluding a closed extremity 64 which is normally located in a positionto be engaged by the yslidable member or latch 36.

Within the tubes 46 and 56 is located a displaceable rod 66. At oneextremity of this rod is located an annular member or washer 68 which isaccommodated within the bore 70 of extension 62. At the other extremityof rod 56 is located another annular member of larger diameter thanmember 68 and which is accommodated within the bore 72 of tube 46. Thissecond annular member is indicated at 74.

A helical spring 76 encircles the rod 56 vand bears at its extremity 78against annular member 74. At the other end of rod 56 and encircling thesame is a slidable member 80 having an outwardly extending flange 82which normally seats -against the annular member 68. Spring 76 isnormally in compression between annular member 74 and flange 82 on themember 80. l

As appears most clearly in FIG. 5, when the slidable member 36 isdisplaced in the direction yof arrow 84 it abuts against extremity 64 ofextension 52 and drives the same along before it, thus driving tube 56to the left in FIG. 5. The shoulder portion 50 of the tube 56 drivesbefore it the member through the intermediary of flange 82 and the forceis transmitted via spring 76 to the annular member 74 which beingaffixed to the rod 56 displaces the same to the left. As a result,engagement is made with the plunger 44 of switch 20 and the switch 20 isoperated. Upon return of the sliding member 36 to the position shown inFIG. 4, the spring 76 which is under compression is extended and as aconsequence thereof lmember 80 is returned to the right to a positionsubstantially the same as that indicated in FIG. 4.

As `appears in FIG. 2, the switch 20 is a microswitch. It is effectiveto alternately operate the lights indicated at 38 and 40. Moreparticularly, a conventional A.C. voltage source is employed which iscoupled across terminals 92 and 94 to the primary 96 of a transformer 98whose secondary is coupled via a line 102 to the switch 20 and via line104 to lights 38 and 40, the circuit of which is returned to switch 20via line 106. Switch 20 is a conventional switch which is adapted toilluminate either of lights 38 and 40 selectively, these lights perhapsbeing provided with different colors such as red and green, one of whichindicates that slidable member 36 has been actuated, whereas the otherlight and associated col-or reveals that it has not been operated.

A-ttention is directed to the fact that in FIG. 2 two additional lights108 and 110 are shown, it being indicated hereby that one set of lightscan be provided on the inside 'of wall 10 whereas the other set oflights can be provided on the outside thereof.

In FIGS. 7 yand 8 are indicated the second problem which has beendiscussed hereinabove and the structure in connection with the relatedembodiment of the invention involves the presence of a wall 120, as wellas a double-wing door consisting of wings 122 and 124 hinged to the wallto control access through the door opening 126.

It is clear that if the wing 122 is held fast to the wall as indicatedby means of a locking element 128 accommodated in a receptacle in thelioor 132, a locking of the wing 124 to the wing 122 will besatisfactory to lock the wing 124 to the wall 120 as well. This latterlocking operation can be effected by means of the lock 134 with which isassociated a spring-loaded plunger which is accommodated in thereceptacle 136 which plunger is operated by knob 138. It has beendiscovered, however, that if the wing 122 is not affixed to the wall 120that an operation of the lock 134 will not be effective to give a securelocking result inasmuch as both wings 122 and 124 can be simultaneouslyopened together independently of whether or not the lock 134 has beenoperated.

In order to avoid the situation where the wing 122 is purposely oraccidentally kept retained in an unlocked position relative to the wall120, there is provided in accordance with the invention an indicator 140having thereon lights I142 and 144 functioning in the same manner as hasbeen indicated above for the preceding embodiment. As well, a secondindicator 146 can be provided on the other side of wall 120.

In the illustrated embodiments there is provided within the wing 122 a-conventional slidable bolt 148 having connected thereto a foot 150exposed in the recess 152. Manual engagement of foot 150 is effective topush the bolt into the receptacle 154 in the wall 120, whereupon thewing 122 is locked to the wall 120.

Upon being raised to locking position the bolt 148 will engage theplunger 156 associated with the switch 158 which is electrically4associated with indicator 140 in the manner which has been indicatedhereinabove for the first embodiment of the invention.

As a result of provisions indicated in FIGS. 7 and 8, a means isprovided for indicating whether or not the wing 122 is connected withthe wall 120 so that a locking operation effected by means of lock 134will be truly effective.

There will now be obvious to those skilled in lthe art manymodifications and variations of the structure set Iforth hereinabove.

What is claimed is:

1. A locking arrangement comprising a relatively stationary part, arelatively movable part associated therewith, first and second lockingmeans effect-ive to lock said parts together, indicating meansoperatively associated with one of said locking means only, to indicatewhen the latter said means is effective to lock the movable part and thestationary part in fixed relation, said stationary part being -a Walland said movable part being a door hinged relative to said wall, saidfirst and second locking means each including a member adapted for beingextended from said one of said parts into a corresponding receptacle inthe other of said parts, said indicating means including a switchadjacent one of said receptacles and adapted for being operated by .thecorresponding member, and intermediate means between said switch :andcorresponding member, said intermediate means being compressible whereby`the force of said corresponding member is yielda bly applied `to saidswitch.

2. A looking -arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said indicatingmeans includes two lights connected to the switch and alternatelyilluminated thereby.

3. A locking arrangement as claimed in claim 2 wherein the switch is amicroswitch including a spring-loaded plunger adapted `to be actuatedthrough said intermediate means by said 'corresponding member.

4. A locking arrangement as claimed in claim 3 wherein said intermediatemeans comprises a fixed tube including an inwardly directed flange :atone extremity thereof, a slidable tube within said fixed tube andincluding an extension out of the fixed tube towards said correspondingmember by wh-ich it is engaged and an outer shoulder portion adapted toseat against said flange whereby movement of the slidable tube isrestricted, said slidable tube further including an inner shoulderportion, a displaceable rod within said slidable rod and extendingtowards the other extrem-ity of said fixed tube, first and secondannular members on said rod and respectively engaged in said fixed andslidable tubes for supporting said rod therein, a further memberencircling said rod and slidable thereon and normally seated against theinner shoulder portion of said slidable tube, and a spring encirclingsaid rod and effective in compression between said first annular memberand further member so that movement of said corresponding member againstsaid slid-able tube is transferred by said inner shoulder portion tosaid further member and then via said spring yieldingly to said rstannular member to said rod to operate said switch.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,328,072 1/ 1920 Bechoff 200-501,810,468 6/1931 Doyle 70-433 2,620,213 12/ 1952 Keeler 292 1472,953,668 9/1960 Bassett 200-167 3,168,636 2/1965 De Smidt 200-1673,222,473 12/ 1965 Delhase 20G-61.62

FOREIGN PATENTS 377,796 2/ 1932 Great Britain.

RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner. R. L. WOLFE, Assistant Examiner'.

U.S. Cl. X.R -102, 441

